Blinking, I looked at her, my mouth agape. No sound left my lips as I watched her. I didn't know how to react to the revelation because it seemed like my brain wasn't working perfectly. She placed her right palm on my cheek. Looking into my eyes, she smiled. “I know it will take you a long time to come to terms with this, but you need to know that I'm not lying. I'm indeed your mother or a fragment of her soul.”She looked so sad that I didn't realize what I was doing until I had my palms on her cheeks. Smiling, she placed hers over mine. “I stayed alive all these years, waiting, hoping to see my daughter before I finally meet my ancestors. You don't know how much I had waited for this day to finally hold you and tell you who I am.”“You are my mum?” My voice was barely a whisper. I was still trying to wrap my head around everything she said, to tell myself I wasn't imagining it. The low bulb in the room cast a glow around, highlighting the sharp features of her face. At that momen
My mates tried so hard to console me, but I was inconsolable. I couldn't grasp what happened. One minute I learned my mother was still alive, posing like an aunt, just so she could see me one last time, and the next, she was gone. It hurts. More than when I realized I wasn't human. I was unable to come to terms with the pain. This one was deep in my soul, eating me out. “It's okay.” Fred patted my back, placing a kiss on my hair. “Your mum won't appreciate this, you know, right? She will want you to be strong, too —”“Strong?” I peered up at him with puffy eyes. “How do you expect me to be strong when I just lost my mother?!” I know it wasn't his fault, but I couldn't help but yell at him. I just wanted to let everything out, to ease my mind of the burden. “We know it's difficult,” he continued, patting my hair. He didn't even flinch when I raised my voice at him. Instead, he smiled. “We will be your strength if you don't have one. You can lean on us. We will forever be your shield
We conducted a funeral two days later. My mates wanted to make it a public festival, but I refused. I wanted it to be a private one. I knew my mum would, too. As I was the only one of the royal line who survived, she would want me and those close to me to escort her to the river, where we would say our final goodbyes. Only 5 people attended, which worked well for me. As her body disintegrated, my mates had to return to her place to get some of her belongings, which we laid in the coffin. The ceremony was short. There was no priest. I did everything while my mates carried the coffin to the river after the ceremony. Chrys and Chris joined us as we set the coffin on fire and pushed it into the sea. As it went, I burst into tears. It dawned on me as I watched the burning coffin that I would never see my mother again, at least not in this world.As I stood between my mates, I bid my mum the last farewell until the day we finally meet at the other end of the river, again. .....“Who di
Devon arrived as he promised, and my mates took him into the study. For close to an hour, they stayed in there, interrogating him about his plans. I stayed outside with Chris, who was undoubtedly fed up with me as we tried to listen to their conversation. It was fruitless, though. As the room was soundproofed, we couldn't hear anything from out there. Had my mates not checked on me when I entered the study with my mum, I would have likely cried until all the tears dried in my eyes and none of them would have known what was going on. “What do you think they might be discussing in there?” I asked Chris, who was leaning on the wall, with her arms folded and a bored expression on her face. I knew she didn't want to be here with me, seeking to listen to other people's conversations, but she had to be. Since she pledged her life to me and offered to be my guard until death do us part, she had been keeping to her promise, unless she knew I needed space. “What else but how to get rid of yo
BELLAFred's eyes narrowed on me with an intensity that made me self-conscious. The vast blue of his eyes dilated as he took a step forward, his jaw getting taut as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Who said you aren't sexy?" he repeated in a murmur like he was waiting for me to mention a name so he could haul the person's head to me as a souvenir. "Nobody," I said, my eyes going to the floor as my heartbeat accelerated. Even as I humoured the thought, I couldn't help but reflect again on the image that stared back at me in that mirror. It was like a faintly distorted version of myself, somehow worse than the last time I remembered looking at my reflection. There were slight hollows beneath my eyes and an endless mar of my once supple skin. How could anyone call it beautiful? "Your eyes are as beautiful as ever," Blue said, digging out my thoughts as he stood on the other side of Fred. "I could swim in that sea of blue forever." Fred was the first to get to me. His fingers t
BELLA "Ah, Fred..."Aside from my moans, the room held a quiet, almost sacred stillness, like the study walls were sheltering us from the world. I sank further into the chair moaning softly as the soft leather cradled me. Fred's fingers moved into me tortuously slow, pushing in just enough to touch that sacred spot, and pulling out far enough to leave me gasping for more."Fred, please," I begged even though I had no idea what I was begging for. He stopped for a moment and knelt beside me, his hand resting on my abdomen with a comforting weight. His eyes met mine, glowing, soft, and full of something I couldn't correctly decipher. Slowly, he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the curve of my belly. His fingers traced the soft lines of my waist, exploring with care that sent a flutter through me. His hand, strong but careful, held me with reverence. As his fingers pressed deeper, I felt myself lose track of everything around me.Blue was behind me, his touch gentle as he brus
When I got up this morning, I noticed two things. Okay, scratch that. Not when I woke up, more like when I wanted to have my bath. The first thing I detected was how big my stomach looked to have gotten. It seemed it added more than an inch. With how big it was at the moment, I couldn't see my toes. Then the second was the mark on my stomach. It was a moon-shaped orange mark that hadn't been there before. It looked to have materialized overnight. “Arkyn, Tyrell!” I screamed their names. A few seconds was all it took for them to barge into the bathroom, looking around as if seeking an intruder that might be hiding in the shadows. “What's wrong?” Blue asked, giving me a once-over, his eyes lingering on my chest. “Why did you call us by those names? Is everything okay?”“Not at all.” I pointed at the mark. “What is this?”Puzzled, my mates walked over to me and leaned down to study the mark. They stayed that way for a few minutes before they lifted their gaze to me, shaking their head.
“You want to do it? Now?” I frowned. “Aren't you a little dressed up just for a conversation?” I pointed out, looking at him once more. He blushed, glancing down at his clothes before he lifted his gaze. “I had to dress up since I'm meeting the queen. I didn't want to seek disrespect.”“You didn't have to do it.” I sat up, biting back the pain that threatened to escape my lips at my action. I didn't like how much this pregnancy was affecting me today. He must have noticed my discomfort because he took a throw pillow from the couch he was sitting on and walked over to my side. “Permit me to serve you, my queen.”I nodded, not saying a word because I knew a painful moan would be the first thing I let out. Bowing to me, he placed the pillow behind me. However, instead of walking back to the couch he was sitting on, he knelt in front of me. “I can help you, my queen,” he offered, answering my questions without me voicing them out. “How?” I managed to let the word out without moaning i
EPILOGUE It was a rocky year for all of us, but we persevered. It took months to convince the people of the kingdom to accept hybrids. A fight broke out about it, but luckily, everything was sorted out before things could escalate any further. Though there were people who were still against the hybrids, they weren't enough to stop my mates from passing a new law. The hybrids didn't need to hide anymore. With the law, they were free to live among the others or stay back in their town. They chose the latter. Having made a life in the small town, they were reluctant to leave. Though they occasionally went to the kingdoms to purchase things, they still returned to their home. To them, it was more than home. The sanctuary my mates created for them was the first place they ever felt safe in.With the kingdom in peace, we had our wedding in the throne room, not the old one, of course. Because of the number of deaths in the palace and the bad memories my mates had of the place, they pulled
It shocked my mates when they returned to the palace, to learn what happened. They were sad they missed out on the fight and on an opportunity to show me how badass they were. It was funny, though. I had seen them fight and knew what they were capable of, yet they wanted to show me they were good. It wasn't until I spoke with Devon that I realized what was going on with them.With how powerful I had become, my mates were trying to let me know they could also protect me, even though I was more powerful than they were. I thought it was cute. They didn't feel intimidated by my powers. They only wanted me to know I could rely on them most times, that I didn't have to act all badass with them. After the fight, everything returned to normal. Well, as normal as our family could get. Chrys was still reluctant to start her studies fully and the darling always kept Chris on her toes. The babies weren't helping at all. The bigger they got, the more it became impossible for us to hold them down.
“Fancy meeting you again, Bella,” he said with a smile, with his arms folded. “How have you been? I trust you loved my gift?” “Give my kids back!” I snarled at him but didn't walk towards him, cautious to use my powers as he placed my kids in a large stroller in front of him, all of them sleeping. Seeing Chrys sleeping made me realize the sound I thought I heard didn't come from her. It was either that or he put her to sleep and used her to get to me. “Your kids?” He looked down at my sleeping children. “It's a pity they are so cute. Killing them would be so heart-wrenching.” He smirked. “What do you want with them? You have a vendetta against me not —” “No. I don't have any problem with you," he started before his gaze went to my bloody hands, and his face twisted with rage. “I didn't have a business with you, but now I have.” He narrowed his eyes at the body on the floor. “Imelda was the perfect henchman. Now that you have killed her, I have no option but to avenge her. Howev
I dragged the only living attacker as he led us to their hideout. When I realized my kids were truly missing, I lost it. Luckily, Chris kept one man alive, so Devon could control him, which was how we learned of their hideout. Whoever the fuck they were, didn't know what was coming for them. Devon and Chris flanked me as we stepped into the compound. I wasn't scared. That was an emotion I wasn't concerned about. All I could feel was the deep rage that started from my head and continued down until it reached my toes. I wanted nothing but to rip them to shreds for laying their filthy hands on my babies. The minute the men patrolling the perimeters saw us, they startled, approaching. Seeing we were just three, they must have thought they could defeat us, not knowing how badass we were. Devon and Chris went to work while I continued to drag the man towards the door. Reaching there, I threw him on it, causing the doors to fall from the weight. With the man out of the way, I stormed int
Just like Devon said, I fell asleep a few seconds after he left. Unlike his words, when he made it sound like I could fight that sleep if I wanted, I couldn't do that. The pull was so strong I didn't even know I slept until I got up later. I still didn't know the time, so there was no way to know how long I slept. I got down from the bed. Surprisingly, the pain I felt when I woke up before I took the pills had disappeared. I felt like a new person like I could take anyone up. I walked over to the window and drew the curtains, wincing as the bright light fluttered into the room. I hastily closed the curtains, rubbing my eyes. If I'd known it was this bright outside, I wouldn't have attempted to open the window. I would have stayed in my room with the dim lights. Hissing at the sun as if it were the reason I opened the curtains, I walked into the bathroom to have my bath. My body felt like it hadn't felt the touch of water on it for days now, and I didn't like that feeling. After m
BELLAI was in total darkness, roaming through it, looking for the light, for a chance to break through, to find my way out, but I couldn't. I felt my body moving, but my eyes were shut. The only thing I knew was the intense rage I felt at the world for keeping me bottled up. For years, I had wished to be let out from the confines to show the world who I was, but I was kept down, tied, and unable to move and use my powers. At that moment, with the darkness swirling around me and enveloping me, making me one with it, I wanted to let go, to merge myself with the rage, to become one with it and to let the feeling wrap around me. However, the thoughts of my babies' smiles as I held them, the whispers of my mates' voices as they told me how much they loved me, the smirk that was always on Chris's face when she had something up her sleeves and the embarrassed smile Devon always sent my way, forced me to snap my eyes open… For a moment, my thoughts were disoriented. I didn't know where I
The moment our Bunny heard our call, she turned her focus on us, causing us to freeze as we stared into her eyes that were as black as the night, like a bottomless void. She threw Devon away like he was a doll and turned to face us, with her lips pulled up in a snarl. "Bunny?” We took cautious steps towards her, ignoring Devon, who was rubbing his neck, and coughing. “What's wrong with you?” I asked, lifting my right hand towards her, only to be startled when she attacked me. I tried to defend myself, but she was too fast. She delivered a series of swift punches and kicks, each one landing with a precision that stunned me. Bella had never been this violent. Not only that, but she had never learned to fight.Letting out a gasp, I stumbled backwards, trying to create some distance between us, but she was relentless. Our Bunny was like a new person. With her claws extended and her fangs down. Though she wasn't in a partial shift, it felt as if she was. Blue attempted to intervene, b
FREDWho would have guessed there would be hundreds of hybrids in a world where unions like that were frowned upon? And to think their parents abandoned them after giving birth to the kids. I didn't appreciate that. It stirred anger within me as I thought of the heartless parents who were probably still alive, having the time of their lives while knowing they abandoned their hybrid children after birthing them. It made me wonder why someone would do something like this. Why want to have a child when you couldn't even take care of them? It made little sense to me. Children aren't meant to be discarded after bringing them into the world! As they were on their own when you got intimate with your lover, the least you could do was take care of them. Or better still, give them to those you know would take good care of them. It wasn't fair at all to abandon a child just because you could. After the meeting we had with the hybrids, who assumed this was a trap, for us to get them together b
“Good. Now, focus on your breath and let your mind clear. Imagine a white light filling your body, starting from the crown of your head and flowing down to your toes.” I did as he instructed, feeling my mind calm and my body relax. The white light began to fill me, and I could feel its glow spreading through my veins. It felt like another presence was within me, going around my body as it sought ways to escape. I kept my eyes tightly closed, and my hands clenched at the sides as I tried to keep my focus on the light and the warmth spreading within, as that was what Devon instructed me to do. “Next, I want you to visualize an exit within yourself,” he continued. “This door is locked, but it's the key to unlocking your powers. Imagine yourself standing in front of this door, and focus on the sensation of the lock clicking open.” His voice was calm. Not that loud. It filled my entire body with warmth, one that propelled me forward, urging me to do everything he instructed me to. I